Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Flowery; ornate; florid: Refers to language, speech, or writing that is excessively embellished, decorated, or uses many elaborate and fancy words, often to impress rather than to communicate clearly and directly.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Lời văn của anh ấy quá văn hoa. (His writing is too flowery.)
  • Bài diễn văn nghe rất văn hoa nhưng thiếu nội dung. (The speech sounded very ornate but lacked substance.)
  • Cô ấy không thích phong cách văn hoa, cô ấy thích sự giản dị. (She doesn't like a florid style; she prefers simplicity.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a slightly critical or negative sense to describe communication that is perceived as overly decorative, pretentious, or lacking in sincerity and straightforwardness.

Variants and Related Words

• Văn vẻ (adj): Also describes language that is literary or stylistically showy, similar to "văn hoa."
• Hoa mỹ (adj): Elaborate and beautiful in a decorative sense, often used for language or description.

Synonyms

• Ornate: Made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns; for language, heavily adorned.
• Florid: Having a red or flushed complexion; for language, excessively intricate or elaborate.
• Flowery: Full of elaborate literary words and phrases.
• Embellished: Made more attractive by the addition of decorative details.

Antonyms

• Plain: Not decorated or elaborate; simple.
• Straightforward: Uncomplicated and direct.
• Concise: Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words.
• Simple: Easily understood or done; not complex.

Related Idioms

• Văn hoa chữ nghĩa: A phrase emphasizing the ornate and decorative use of words and letters, often implying a focus on form over substance.